Should Campus Reopen?

By Theresa Morrissey, Staff Writer

On Oct. 15, University President Kimberly Cline announced that the campus would be  pausing in-person instruction for two weeks. This comes after a COVID-19 outbreak on campus  consisting of over 60 cases in the two week span of Oct. 10- Oct. 23. The outbreak was said to be caused by an off-campus gathering consisting of student athletes.  While outbreaks are almost inevitable with a highly contagious virus like COVID-19, it raises the question of whether campus should’ve reopened at all.  

Campus reopenings in the age of Coronavirus are a testy subject. Some politicians and  parents argue that campus closures are far more detrimental than campus reopenings, while some oppose returning to the classroom in a pandemic. Some Post students feel that a mix of in-person and remote learning would work. “I would say that I support a hybrid of in-person and online” sophomore musical theatre major Julian Schenker said. “I know classes like jazz dance, Suzuki and musical theatre aren’t really possible in a dorm room. I don’t think that the school has to open up for every major though.” 

LIU Post looks to safely reopen for in-person instruction on Nov. 1. Classes for second  semester are scheduled to remain in-person beginning on Feb.1. New York state guidelines  allow for in-person classes as long as college campuses are operating safely. New York state  guidelines will close college campuses for two weeks if they have a five percent COVID test  positivity rate or 100 cases. COVID-19 outbreaks have already resulted in some college  closures, such as an outbreak at SUNY Oswego.